Sheet separating device



June29, G; sp s's SHEET SEPARATE 1G DEVICE Filed Feb. 8, less 5Sheats-Shee t '1'" lnvenlbr:

SPIESS SHEET 'SEPARATING DEVICE Julie 29, 1937'.

Filed Feb. a, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet z June 29, 1937-. G. sPlESS mmSEPARATING DEVICE.

Filed Feb. 8, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mvenfom I June 29, 1937. G. S:PIESS2,085,612

SHEET SEPARATING DEVICE June 29, 1937;

G. SPIESS 2,085,612

SHEET SEPARATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 8, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 l l lInventor:

Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application February8, 1936, Serial No. 63,027 In Germany October 22, 1935 10 Claims. '(Cl.Til -+27) This invention relates to sheet separating devices for sheetfeeding machines. I There are sheet separating devices known which gripthe sheet on the edge directed away from the feeding direction and whichare displaceable as a whole in the feeding direction along a guiding andsupporting bar. In such separating devices the difierent operationsrequired for the separation of the sheet from the pile are not derivedfrom a controlling shaft displaceable with the separating device, butthe control of the different working operations is effected in suchmanner that they, are brought about partly by means of the vacuum in thesuction conduit arising during the sucking up of the sheet, through themedium of a shifting piston, and partly by means of a lifting barextending in the direction of displacement and controlled by a liftingcam provided on a stationary control shaft. The allotment of control ofthe various operations in these known devices is such that by means ofthe vacuum in the air conduit the suction member together with the sheetsucked up from the pile is lifted up and the separating blo'werisbrought into operative position, whilst by means of the lifting bar andcontrol shaft respectively the forward movement of the suction member inthe feed direction, the return of the suction member into the positionof readiness and the return ofthe separating blower are con! trolled,the automatic switching on and off of the suction and blast air beingeffected in coordination with the different movements of the suctionmember and separating blower. With this arrangement of the separatingdevice the vac uum in the suction conduit has to carry out acomparatively large amount of work, and the swinging-of the separatingblower into operative position as also the return of the suction memberinto sucking upposition are effected by force closure.

The present invention proposes to provide a sheet separating devicediffering from these known devices in that the vacuum in the suctionconduit brings about the tipping of the suction member together with thesucked-up part of the sheet, whilst the further necessary workingoperations, namely the raising of the suction member together with thesucked-up part of the sheet,

the swinging over of the separating blower into operative position, theforward movement of the suction member for the delivery of the separatedsheet to the device for conveying it onwards, the return of theseparating blower intoa position I of readiness and the return of thesuction memher into sucking up position are brought about by a liftingbar extending in the direction of feed.

The arrangement is, according to the invention, suchthat the differentdevices and linkages are in positive connection with the lifting bar.The lifting bar itself may be in positive connection with the drivingpart of the control shaft in one or both directions of stroke. Theswitching on and off of the suction and blast air is effected auto-'matical ly in dependence on the corresponding 10 movements of thesuction member and the separating blower. i

The advantage of the arrangement of the separating device according tothe invention resides in a considerable simplification of theconstruction 15 and operation, particularly when the sheet dimensionsare altered, inasmuch as there is no gearing which has to be adjusted,whilst the suction power is lessened and all operations are positivelycontrolled. 20

By way of example, one form of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 to 5 each show an elevationwith certain details in section in various working positions, Fig.1showing the device in the position 25 during the sucking upof a pilesheet; Fig. 2, in the tipping position of the suction member; Fig. 3, inthe raised position of the suction member; Fig. 4, in the positionbefore the beginning of the forward-movement; and Fig. 5, at the end ofthe forward movement of the suction member. Referring to the drawings,the support I of the separating device is slidably guided on the sup--porting bar 2 extending in the direction of feed above the sheet pile,is secured against rotation 35 by a key 93 sliding in a groove 92 of thebar 2 tion cylinder 3 is mounted, the opening 95 of which is controlledby a slide valve 96 and is put in 40 communication in the position shownin Fig. 1 with a suction air space 98 through'the medium of a recessedpart 91 of the slide valve, said suction air space being connected ontheone hand with ,the air pump and on the other hand, by 45 means ofaconduit, not shown, with a pipe 99 on which the suction air'nozzles I4are arranged. The nozzle pipe'BB is fixed to a lever Hill, which isforked atits lower end and the upper end of which is connected by anarticulated bar "ll 5 with a fixed extension I02 of the piston 5 of thesuction cylinder 3. The lever I00 is further pivotally connected at I03to a lever Ill4, which is pivotally connected at its upper-end at I05with I whilst the arm H3 is mounted on the shaft pin II which isjournalled in the frame and provided witha second arm II I. The latteris pivotally connected by means of a link bar I I8 with the one arm of atwo-armed lever I20, which is fulcrumed at H9 in the support I, and theother arm of which is pivotally connected to the bearing frame I2I of aroller triangle, the rollers of which embrace the lifting bar 43. a

The sucking-up position of the separating nozzles I4 shown in Fig. 1 isthus determined on the one hand through the positioning of the liftingbar 43 by means of the above-described linkage, and on the other hand bymeans of the position of readiness of the snifting piston 5, which itassumes under the action of a compression spring 50 through the mediumof the linkage I00, IOI, I02. The position of the lifting bar 43 isdetermined by the lifting cam 50 and by the weight of the liftinglinkage, assisted by, a spring 49 which might be replacedby a countercam.

The stroke of the suction piston 5 is limited by a stop I23 provided inthe interior of the suction cylinder 3. The sucking-up position (Fig. 1)of the suction nozzles I4, 1. e., the angular position of their suctionsurfaces with regard to the pile surface, is adjustable by means of anexterior adjusting stop I23 for the suction piston 5, which stop is,arranged at one end of an adjusting spindle I25 provided with anadjusting button I24 and guided on the cylinder body. In the position ofadjustment of the stop I23 shown in Fig. 1 the suction surfaces of thesuction nozzles are parallel to the pile surface, whilst in Fig. 2 aposition of adjustment of the piston stop I23 is shown in which thepiston stroke is shortened and in consequence of this the nozzles areslightly tipped in sucking-up position. This adjustment of the suctionnozzles is for example suitable when the rear pile edge is rolledupwards. If, however, the edge of the pile is bent downwards, then it isadvantageous to employ the oppositely inclined position of'the nozzleswhich is effected by bringing the piston stop I23 into the otherlimiting position-by means of the adjusting spindle I25 and thusincreasing the piston stroke. The adjustment of the suction nozzles withregard to the pile surface is regulatable during operation, inasmuch asthe suction cylinder 3 is mounted so as to be stationary.

The separating blower and pile feeling member for the adjustment of thepile transport, which consists of the holder 25, the pipe 28 and theblast nozzle member 30, forms the coupling of a rectangular linkage, thecrank arm 23 of which is mounted so as to be capable of swinging aroundthe fixed pin 22 and the wing 28 of which is mounted so as to be capableof swinging around the fixed pin 21 of the support I. Similarly, the S prating blower and pile feelin'g devlce is subjected to the action of aspring I25 which has the tendency to swing it out of the position ofreadiness shown in Fig. 1 into the operating position shown in Fig. 4.The separating blower and pile feeling member is locked in its positionof readiness (Fig. .1) against the action of said spring by a lockingstop I2'I. Both the spring I26 and the locking stop I2I are mounted on adriving rod I28, which is pivoted at I29 to the curved coupling bar H2,and enclose a cubical sliding member I30, with which the free end of asecond arm 23a of the crank 23 of the blower linkage is pivotallyconnected. The free end of the driving rod I 28 contacts byv means of abuffer I32 with the arcuate stop surface of a stop roller I35 mounted atthe end .of a crank arm 23.

During the movement of the rectangular linkage II3, H4, H2 by means ofthe lifting bar 43, the coupling point I29 describes the path mm. In thecourse of this movement of the coupling point I29 the driving rod I28acts in the first place as a, push rod against the roller I33, which ismounted on the link pin connecting the crank arm 23 with the holder 25,and thereby causes the blower and feeler to swing over in the firstplace into the position shown in Fig. 3 until the roller I33 slides offfrom the stop surface of the buffer I32. From this moment onward, theconnection of the blower holder 25 and of the driving arm,23, 23arespectively with the driving rod I28, is caused to be a resilient oneby the action of the spring I26 and as soon as theblowing nozzle memberapplies itself as a feeler to the pile, the spring I26 is compressedwhilst the driving rod I28 slides without hindrance in the cubical slidemember I30.

On a pin I34 fixed in the support I a bell crank lever I35, the one armof which .is pivotally connected by means of a link bar I 36 with thelink pin I3I, and the other arm of which is pivotally connected by meansof a slotted link I31 with the suction air control valve 96, is mountedso as to be capable of swinging. In consequence of this connectinglinkage, the air control valve is also displaced during the swingingmotion of the separating blower and pile feeler and arrives finally inthe position shown in Fig. 4 in which it interrupts the connectionbetween the internal space of the suction cylinder 3 and the suctionspace 98 and established connection between the internal space of thecylinder and the external air by means of the control opening 95 and aflattened part I38 at its upper end.

The suction air space 98 connected with the air pump through a controlvalve, not shown, is further connected by a bore I controlled by a valveI39 with an air space I, which is connected by means of an air conduit,not shown, with a 'snifting cylinder which operates the control gear ofthe pile lifting device. The valve I39, which is held in closed positionby means of a spring I42, is lifted off from its seating by strikingagainst the end of the valve rod I40 by means of a carrier I43 providedon the control valve 96, when the foot of the feeler, in consequence ofthe diminished height of the pile surface, goes correspondingly 'fardownwards (Fig. 4) until it comes to rest on the pile surface.

By displacement of the support I on the rod 2 andfixing the same inplace the separating device is adjusted according to the dimensions ofthe sheet. By the displacement the parts of the separating device arenot altered in their relationship to one another. In the position shownin Fig. 1, which is determined on the one hand by the cooperation of thelifting cam 50 and the spring 49, and on the other hand by the pistonspring 5a and the piston stop I23, the sucking up of the sheet takesplace after the space 98 and the nozzle pipe 89 leave been put incommunication with the airpump Ia. During this time the loosening blower20, 2| is in action whilst the separating blower 30 is inoperative. Whenthe up-v permost sheet of the pile jumps up to the suction nozzles I4and closes them, a vacuum is produced in the snifting cylinder connectedwith the suction nozzles by means of the space 08, the re- 1 cessed part9Iof the control valve 96 and the cylinder control opening 95, wherebythe piston 5 is drawn in into the cylnder while compressing the spring5a. The movement of the linkage I 00,

IOI, I I0, I09 thereby produced causes a tipping motion of the suctionmember or members I4 around their front end together with the suckeduppart of the sheet, as is shown in Fig. 2 v

During the upward movement of the-lifting bar 43 which now takes placeowing to the action of the control cam 50, the rectangular linkageconsisting of the parts II3, H4, H2 is set in motion through the mediumof the roller triangle- I2 I, the driving lever I and the connectinglinkage II8, II I, the point of application III of the coupling of thesuction lifting linkage I29 and the moving linkage of the separatingblowerand feeler describing meanwhile the curves indicated in the figureby the reference numerals I I la and I29a; respectively.

The lifting linkage for the separating suction member passes in themeantime first from the position shown in Fig. 2 into the position shownin Fig. 3, in which the suction member is raised but is not yet movedinto the tipped position.

. Simultaneously, the driving rod I28 for moving the separating blowerand pile feeler is displaced by the movement of the rectangular linkcoupling II2. At the commencement of this movement the rod I28 with itsimpact buifer I32 has positively initiated the movement of ,theseparating blower and pile feeler 25, 28, 30. At the moment at which theimpact buffer I32 has slid off from the roller I3I, the further drive ofthe separating blower and feeler takes place by force closure by theaction of the spring I26 on the bell crank lever 23, I30. During thismovement of the separating blower and pile feeler the lower" edge of itsbowing nozzle describes the curve a, which runs approximatelyhorizontally in its first part and nearly rectilinearly in its second.part.

In the further course of the upward movement of the lifting bar 43, therectangular linkage I I 3, 2', II 4 moves into the position shown inFig. 4.

During this movement no noticeable displacement .of the point ofapplication III of the coupling of the linkage for lifting the suctionmember takes place, so that said linkage does not alter its adjustmentwith regard to the position shown in Fig. 3. On the other hand, thepoint of application I29 of the coupling of the driving linkage ingnozzle closing means is brought into the open position. During thismovement of the separating blower and pile feeler, the control valve 96is further displaced by means of theconnecting link I36 and the bellcrank lever I into the position shown in Fig. 4, and the internal spaceof the shifting cylinder 3' is shut off from the air space 98 and put incommunication with the open air by means of the 'flattened part I38. Asa result of the release of the vacuum the piston 5 is returned under thepressure of the spring 5a path located surface.

movement of the tipping linkage IOI,' I00 assoelated therewith from theposition shown in Fig. 4, the suction nozzles I4 are tipped back, sothat their suction surfaces together with the suckedup partof the sheetagain lie parallel or approximately parallel to the pile surface.

In Fig. 4 it has been assumed that the height of the pile surfaceinconsequence of the removal of the sheets has sunk below .the normalheight necessary for the proper operation of the separating device. As aresult of the larger descent of the separating blower and pile feelerthereby rendered possible in placing itself on the pile, the controlvalve 96 is displaced to a corresponding extent so that its carrier. I43has lifted the is operated.

In the further course of the stroke of the bar 43, which is transmittedby means of the linkage I20, II8, III to the rectangular linkage II4,II3,'I I2, the point of application III of the coupling of the nozzlelever "I04 describes a curved to a greater extent horizontally in thedirection of feed. This motion of the coupling point III is accompaniedby a forwardly directed movement of the lower end of the nozzle lever I04 and consequently of the nozzles I4 together with the sucked-up sheet,during which the nozzles are simultaneously guided by the tipping leverI 00 and the connecting linkage I09, H0 in such manner that the nozzlesuction surfaces maintain their position parallel to the pile The pathof the nozzle .tipping edge is indicated in the drawings by thereference nu- I meral I411.

In the position shown in Fig. 5 the sheet separated from the pile isgripped in known manner by the device for forwarding it onwards afterthe vacuum in the nozzle suction conduit has been eliminated by theopening of a valve flap in the suction conduit of the pump andconsequently the sheet is released by the nozzles. Thereupon the returnof the lifting bar 43 into initial position, shown in Fig. 1, begins,whereby the rectangular linkage together with the nozzle lever I04connected with the coupling I I 2 and the driving rod I28 likewiseconnected with the coupling H2 and the driving rod I20 likewiseconnected to the coupling for the movement of the separating blower andpile feeler are returned into the initial position for the commencementof a new working operation.

I claim:. v

1. Sheet separating device for sheet feeding machines, comprisingseparating means engaging the rear of the pile of sheets including anozzled separating suction member, a suction conduit for said member, anair pump connection with said member, the part of the sheet sucked up bysaid separating member being automatically lifted by the suction forcearising in said conduit and a cylinder upon closure of the suctionope'ning by the sheet and the vacuum produced in said conduit during thesucking up of the sheet effecting the tipping of said suction member, aseparating blower and pile feeler, a'lifting bar extending in thedirection of feed and operating linkages conblower and pile feeler withsaid lifting bar for raising the suction member together with thesucked-up part of the sheet, swinging the separating blower and pilefeeler into operative position, moving thesuction member to deliver thesheet and returning the blower and the suction member.

2. Sheet separating device according to claim 1, wherein a rollertriangle positively connects the operating linkages of the suctionmember and of the separating blower and pile feeler with the liftingbar.

v 3. Sheet separating device according to claim 1,

wherein a coupling of a rectangular linkage controlled by the liftingbar controls the operating linkages of the suction member and theseparating blower and pile feeler.

4. Sheet separating device according to claim 1,

wherein a separating suction nozzle is linked to the end of a nozzlelever and is guided on a tipwherein the nozzle together with thesucked-up part of the sheet is tipped back after the operation oflifting oil! from the pile before the beginning of the forward movementby the return of a tipping piston into initial position after theadmission of air into a cylinder has been effected by the lifting bar,and the suction surface is again parallel to the pile surface.

8. Sheet separating device according to claim 1, wherein a slide valvecontrolling the pressure in a tipping suction cylinder is operativelyconnected with the, separating blower and pile feeler to I cause saidvalve during the duration of the position of readiness, of the'tippingand of the lifting movement of the suction nozzle and of the initialmotion of the blower to maintain the interior of the .cylinder incommunication with the suction conduit and during the period of rest ofthe suction nozzles to connect the interior of the cylinder with theopen air.

9. Sheet separating device according to claim 1, wherein a slide valvecontrolling the pressure in a tipping suction cylinder is operativelyconnected with the operating and driving linkage of the separatingblower and pile feeler to cause said valve during the duration of theposition of readiness, of the tipping and of the lifting movement of thesuction nozzle and of the initial motion of the blower to maintain theinterior of the cylinder in communication with the suction conduit andduring the period of rest of the suction nozzles to connect the interiorof the cylinder with the open air.

10. Sheet separating device according to claim 1, wherein a controlvalve controls by means of a carrier a valve by means of which asnifting piston controlling a pile locking device is set in operation.

- GEORG SPIESS,

